What Is DPMO ?

Defects Per Million Opportunities (DPMO) is a quality metric used in manufacturing and business processes to measure the number of defects in a process per one million opportunities for a defect to occur. It provides a standardized way to assess the performance and capability of a process, helping organizations identify areas for improvement and track progress over time.

DPMO is calculated using the following formula:

To calculate DPMO, follow these steps:

For example, if a company produces 10,000 units and there are 2 opportunities for defects per unit, and 50 defects are found, the DPMO would be calculated as follows:

A lower DPMO indicates a higher quality process with fewer defects, while a higher DPMO signifies a need for quality improvements. Monitoring DPMO helps organizations maintain high quality standards, enhance customer satisfaction, and reduce costs associated with defects and rework.